Bottle-carrying carton



y 1937- c. D. KEITH 2,079,352

BOTTLE CARRYING CARTON Filed Dec. 31, 1935 Patented May 4, 1937 PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE-CARRYING CARTON Claude D. Keith, New

York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Charles E. Culpeper, Norwalk,

Conn.

Application December 31, 1935, Serial No. 56,866

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle-carrying cartons formed of a flexible strip of suitable material and fastening means therefor.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce from a flat strip of material a bottle-carrying carton of the type having in erectedposition inclined top body-portions provided with apertures through which the tops of bottles project and to fasten the edges of these inclined bodyportions .with integral fastener elements leaving abutting handle flaps foldable outwardly independently of the fastener elements to expose the latter while enabling said handle flaps to be used as handles for manipulating the fastener elements and to carry the carton.

Another object of my invention is to provide a carton of the type specified with a pair of fastener elements integral with and extending from 20 the edges of said inclined top body-portions at the middle part thereof and comprising base members projecting toward each other beyond the adjacent edges of said inclined top bodyportions to space the said edges apart, and tongue members extensible over the adjacent inclined body portion each having arcuate outer edge portions adapted to engage the tops of said bottles and a foot portion formed integrally with and conforming in outline with said base mem- 30 her at one side of the middle of the element,

said elements being provided between said tongue and base members with interengaging kerfs extending from opposite edges toward the middle" thereof to form laterally-extending free tongue 35 portions which interengage to fasten the adjacent inclined body portions in spaced relationship, to engage the tops of bottles in opposite inclined body portions and to-hold the bottles within said carton apart so as to prevent grind- 40 ing thereof during carrying and to produce a tightly fastened and locked-up package.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate all catching or jamming of the fastener parts during locking and unlocking thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide integral parallel bail flaps foldable independently of said fastener elements, projecting vertically from the top portions of said inclined body portions and each formed by creasing the blank 50 of material to provide connecting portions for said bail flaps at opposite sides of said fastener base member at a position below the outer edge of the base member of said fastener elements, thus avoidinginterference with said fa tening elements.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction which will take advantage of the flexibility of the carton to permit relative sliding movement of the fastener elements.

Another object of my invention is to provide integral fastening tongues having arcuate edges adapted in closing movement to engage the tops of the middle bottles and to provide in closed position an interlocked engagement that will fasten and retainthe edges of the body portions in securely fastened position.

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide fastening tongues having a single free end and which in their fastening and unfastening movements may be readily and quickly manipulated and will not bind, stick or become jammed in such operations.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of the type specified having fastening elements one member of which is uncreased in relation to the inclined body portion and forms an extension thereof, so as to cause a spacing of bail-shaped flaps.

Still another object of my invention is to provide fastening tongues which are free of tail portions that will catch and jam during opening or closing movements.

ton body formed of a blank or strip of flexible material creased to produce a bottom, side walls and abutting inclined top portions, and the provision of said inclined top body-portion with a pair of fastening elements cut out from the material of the blank and so severed as to provide base members connected with and projecting from their respective inclined top portions and tongue members having foot portions integral with said base members and laterally projecting tongue portions ofi'set laterally with respect to each other, said fastening elements having kerfs between said base members and tongues and extending parallel and spaced upwardly from the edges of said inclined top body portions and offset laterally with respect to each other, said fastening base member being uncreased in relation to said inclined top body portion and said tongue members being bendable from inclined position to horizontal position to enable interengagement upon relative sliding of the abutting inclined edges and after such interengagement to abut at their outer edges against the middle bottles projecting through apertures in the adjacent inclined top body portions.

More particularly. I provide the tongues of said fastening elements, each with a single free end and also provide baibshaped flaps connected with said inclined top body portion on opposite sides of the fastening element and creased so as to bend independently of said fastening elements below the interengaging kerfed portions and to be spaced from each other when the fastening members are interengaged, and providing an integral bail-shaped handle with a handle opening to enable grasping by the user for manipulating the sliding movements of said inclined edges and fastening elements which are necessary for engagement and disengagement of the fastener members and preferably the tongue members have offset integral trunk connection with the base members and each have a curved outer edge merging with the end of the base member without tails, said curved outer edges being adapted during closing movement to ride along the neck of the middle bottle and to produce a frictional locking engagement therewith.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to co-aet and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a bottle carrier or carton embodying my invention with the opposite rows of bottles in tilted relationship to each other prior to fastening of the top inclined members of the carton by the fastening elements;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the carton in fastened position;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the positions ofthe inclined top body portions and flaps just prior to fastening;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5- -5 of Fig. 3, showing the position of the same members after being fastened, and r Fig. 6 is a view in plan of a strip of cardboard cut and creased to produce the carton and fastening device shown in Figs. 1 to 5.

\ Referring now to the drawing, I indicates a body or strip of relatively rigid though flexible material which is creased to permit. erection into a bottle carrier or carton for double rows of bot- .tles, having the tops or necks thereof extending through inclined bottle-neck-engaging or top j body portions I, 1', and preferably composed of cardboard or reinforced paper.

As shown, the strip I is provided at its middle portion and on its inner surface with parallel creases 2-.2' adapted when the material is bent at right angles along the same to provide a bot-' tom 3 for the carton which preferably has the required flexibility to enable a relatively sliding movement of the inclined neck-engaging or top members 1-1 to enable interengagement and fastening of the fastening elements connected thereto.

Said strip I is, as shown, provided with side wall sections 5, 5' having hinge or foldable connections with said bottom at the bottom creases 2, 2', and bendable at right angles to the said bottom section. Said strip is furthermore provided at opposite sides of the bottom creases 2, 2' with parallel creases 4, 4' also on the inner surface of the strip. These creases are positioned to limit the length of the side wall sections 5, 5' to a height less than the length of the bottle to be carried and, as shown, to' a, height'extending to a point below a neck portion of the bottle. These creased parts connect to the side wall members, by a hinged or foldable connection, a pair of inclined neck-engaging members or top body portions I, I. These inclined top body portions I, 'I' are bendable toward each other and into abutment at their upper edges, said members being bent in an inclined plane relative to the wall sections. The width of such inclined neckengaging or top body portions is determined by two parallel pairs of creases 6,-6' depressed in the opposite or external surface of the strip. These neck-engaging or top body portions I, I each have elliptical longitudinally extending insertion apertures 8 through which the tops of bottles are adapted to be projected and the upper and lower edges 8', 8 of which openings are adapted to abut against the' opposite sides of the bottleneck.

In accordance with the present invention, on the upper or top edges of the neck-engaging or top body sections I, 'I' and preferably at the middle portions thereof, I provide said integral fastener elements. At opposite sides of said integral fastening elements, I provide the parallel pairs of creases 6, 6' which are disposed in a plane below these fastener elements, one member of a pair at each side of a fastener element. These creases determine the normal width of the sections I, I and format such lower position or level a hinged connection between said neck-engaging or top body portions I, I, and handle sections or flaps 9, 9' which are thus spaced from each other at the bottom portions thereof and extend in a slightly inclined position into abutment with each other at the top thereof. These abutting flaps or handle sections 9, 9' are bail-shaped in conformation and are provided with hand holes 9'. 9" registering with each other to permit ready insertion of the hand of the user in the carrying of the carton.

The upper edges of the neck-engaging or top body portions I, I are securely fastened together by the fastening elements hereinabove referred to and the flaps are unfastened and are bendable outwardly independently of the fastening members to permit exposure of such fastening members and a more ready and easy manipulation thereof.

As illustrated, the said upper edges of the inclined neck-engaging top body-portions 1, I are provided with a pair of fastener elements formed integrally therewith and extending from the edges thereof at the middle part of the same. These fastener elements are preferably of identical configuration though in reversed relationship to each other and comprise base members II, II fo an extension of said upper edges and .projecing toward each other beyond the ad-.

jacent edges of the said inclined neck-engaging or, top body-portions to space said edges apart and tongue members l2, l2 extensible over the adjacent inclined body portion and having footportions I2 I2 integral with said base members and laterally projecting tongue-portions I2 and I2 offset laterally with respect to each other, said fasteningelements having kerfs l3, l3 between said base members II, II and tongue members I2, I2 and extending parallel though spaced upwardly from the edges of said inclined neck-engaging or top body portions and also offset laterally with respect to each other. The said base members of the fastening element are preferably uncreased in relation to said inclined top body members I, I and the tongue members are base member having a curved outer edge meet-' ing with the end of the base member to form a guiding surface in connecting and disconnecting the tongues while avoiding free tail portions which catch and stick during connecting and disconnecting operations.

In the embodiment shown, the bail-shaped flaps 9, 9' are connected with said inclined top 1 body portions on opposite sides of the fastening elements and the creases connecting said flaps with the inclined top body portions are arranged below the plane of the interengag'ed kerfed portions so that said flaps are bendable independently of the fastening elements and opposite flaps will be slightly spaced from each other when the fastening elements are interengaged. The bail-shaped flaps 9, 9' are provided with the handle openings 9*, 9 to enable grasping by the user for manipulating the sliding movements of the inclined body portions and fastening elements which are necessary for engagement or disengagement of said fastening element.

In the embodiment shown the laterally-extending tongues are of such width that the curved outer edges, (which as aforesaid merge at one end with the end of the base member so as to avoid any tail or other catching portion.) are adapted during-the closing and opening movements to ride along and frictionally engage with the necks of the middle bottles and the tapered and rounded free ends of the said tongues permit a ready insertion of the said tongues into the space between the neck of the middle bottle and the foot or trunk portion of the opposite tongue member so as to produce a frictional locking engagement during a sliding of the tongues in relation to each other.

In manipulating the fastening element after the carton is erected, the tongue member is preferably initially bent at an obtuse angle to the base extension portion of the inclined neck engaging or top body portion. The flaps are gripped by the user and bent outwardly independently of the inclined top body portions and fasteners connected thereto, and these inclined portions are moved slidably in relation to each other as indicated in Fig. 1 until the, tongues are interengaged as shown in Fig. 3 whereupon the flaps are released and will-assume the position shown in Fig. 5 with the hand-holes in registration with each other so that the fingers of the user may be passed therethrough to carry the carton. To release the tongues from engagement, the flaps are again bent outwardly to expose the fastening portions abutting each other above the body portions of the bottles and upwardiy extending .handle members having handle openings and provided at their base portions with hinged connections to said inclined body portions, said inclined body portions being provided with a pair of fastening elements projecting into said handle openings and formed integrally with said inclined body portions, each fastening element comprising an extension base member projecting upwardly in the plane of said inclined body portion beyond the hinged connection between said base-portions of the handle members and said inclined body- 'portion to cause separation and spacing of said handle base portions, and a tongue-member integral with said extension base-member, each of said tongue members comprising a free tongue portion ofiset from said extension base-member by a kerf, and a connecting portion continuous with said extension base-member, said tongue members extending toward each other and said free tongue portions being arranged in reversed relationship to permit inter-engagement of the kerfs and connecting portions thereof, whereby said interengaging tongues and kerfs will be positioned between spaced base-portions of the handle members.

2. A flexible bottle-carrying carton composed of a single strip of sheet material cut and creased to provide a flexible body having a pair of inclined neck-engaging body-portions provided withupper edge portions abutting each other above the body portions of the bottles and upwar,dly-extending flaps having handle openings and provided at their base portions with hinged connections to said inclined body portions, said inclined body portions being provided with a pair of fastening elements projecting into said handle openings and formed integrally with said inclined body portions, each fastening element comprising an extension base member projecting upwardly in the plane of said inclined body portion beyond the hinged connection between said base-portions of thehandle flaps and said inclined body portion to cause separation and spacing of said ilap base portions, and a tongue-member integral with said extension base-member. each of said tongue members comprising a free tongue portion offset from said extension base-member by a kerf, and a connecting portion continuous with said extension base-member, said tongue members extending toward each other and said free tongue portions being arranged in reversed relationship to permit inter-engagement of the kerfs and connecting portions thereof, whereby said interengaging tongues and kerfs will be positioned between spaced base-portions of the handle flaps.

3. A flexible bottle-carrying carton comprising a flexible body having a pair of inclined neckengaging body-portions provided with upper edge portions abutting each other above the body portions of the bottles and upwardly-extending flaps having handle openings and provided at their base portions with hinged connections to said inclined body portions, said inclined body portions being provided with a pair of fastening elements projecting into said handle openings and formed integrally with said inclined body portions, each fastening element comprising an extension base member projecting upwardly in the plane of said inclined body portion beyond the hinged connection between said base-portions of the handle flaps and said inclined body-portion to cause separation and spacing of said handle base portions, and a tongue-member integral with said extension base-member, each of said tongue members comprising a free tongue portion having a rounded outer edge and slightly tapered at opposite sides thereof and ofiset from said extension base-member by a kerf, and a connecting portion continuous with said extension basemember, and having a curved outer edge merging with the end of said extension base-member, said tongue members extending toward each other and said free tongue portions being arranged in reversed relationship to permit inter-engagement of the kerfs and connecting portions thereof, whereby said interengaging tongues and kerfs will be positioned between spaced baseportions of the handle flaps.

CLAUDE D. KEITH. 

